Never thought I'd cross that line
And then the long, hard wait began
Could you take that long walk with me
Mostly black, brown and all poor
Knowing Hell was waitin' there?
Like I've always been alone
Now, my wait is over
And then go home, tell yourself, sir
I was born in Oklahoma
So, I just called the cops myself
The court appointed lawyer
As the final hour drags by
I was born in Oklahoma
Couldn't look me in the eye
I'm twenty-nine years old
I won't stand here to tell you
Hell, I didn't even make the papers
It's been so long since I left home
I held up a filling station
Guess I'll never know what made me
When they sentenced me to die
Like I'd done a hundred times
Could you pull that switch yourself, sir
He just stood up and closed his briefcase
Name is Billy Austin
He lay face down on the floor
With a sure and steady hand
But my trial was over quickly
Didn't mean to hurt nobody
And they shave off all my hair
That I don't deserve to die
Don't remember Oklahoma
And I believe I could'a run
So, when the preacher comes to get me
I knew I should be feeling something
They took their time to get there
But I never shed tear one
My ears rang like a bell
The shot rang out like thunder
There's ninety-seven men here
That you're better than I am
Quarter Cherokee, I'm told
The kid done like I told him
Yeah and most of us are guilty
'Cause I only killed one man
I'll turn and walk back through that door
No one come runnin'
It's like I've always been in prison
And who are you to say for sure?
